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(No- Model.) 7-SheetsSheet 1.

J. BAIRD. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 434,497. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

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(No Model.) v 7 Sheets-Sheet 2. r

J. BAIRD. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 434,497. PatentedfAug. 19, 1890..

7 Sheets-Sheet 8.

(No Model.)

J. BAIRD.

STEAM ENGINE.

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J. BAIRD. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 434.497. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

J. BAIRD. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 434,497. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

Inventor LTokn lfiaird (9 4min l ETERS co, PHOTO-UTHO, wAsmNaYou a c ykw Writ/ya.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 7. Y

J. BAIRD.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 434,497. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JQHN BAIRD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,497, dated August19, 1890.

Application filed April 12, 1890. Serial No. 347,659. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that 1, JOHN BAIRD, mechanical engineer, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invended certain new and useful Improvements inSteam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

These improvements consist of new and useful arrangements of theprincipal parts of steam-engines, especially adapted for marine engines,but also suitable for stationary engines.

The essential principle of my invention consists in balancing the weightof the moving parts of a steam-cylinder by the weight of thecorresponding parts of another steamcylinder on the opposite side of thecrankshaft, these moving parts being connected to each other by suitablebellcrank or elbow levers and links, so that when the piston and itsattachments of one cylinder are going in one direction the piston andits attachments of the other cylinder are going in the oppositedirection.

These improvements are especially intended for the improved constructionof compound engines, triple-expansion engines, and quadruple-expansionengines.

Economy in the use of steam and reduction of the size and weight of theparts of steamengines are secured by expanding steam of a high initialpressure to a low terminal pressure while doing its work, as well as bya high velocityof piston and increased frequency of revolution. Toattain these ends it is of the first importance that the moving partsshould counterbalance each other, and that the weight ofVertically-reciprocating partssuch as pistons and theirattachments-should be counterbalanced by the weight of similar partshaving the same kind of mot-ion, but in an opposite direction.Vertically-reciproeating pistons and their attachments are frequentlycounterbalanced by parts having a revolving motion. This causes sidestrains in the shafts, producing a wabbling, unsteady motion, hasteningthe wear of shaft-journals and causing them to get out of line. This isa serious difficulty in the case of large engines, the moving parts ofwhich are necessarily heavy and the consequent strain thereon great.

My improvements effectually eradicate these defects, as in my plan theweight of the large piston and its attachments is counterbalanced by theweight of a smaller piston and its attachments plus the weight of theconnecting-rod, and by using proper discretion in the construction andproportions of these moving parts a close approximation to perfectcount-erbalancing can be secured.

My improvements have the great and important advantage of enabling me toplace the cylinders low down on the level of the foundations of thepillow-blocks of the crank shaft journals, which is desirable for allmarine engines, particularly. for those of naval vessels.

The accompanying drawings show tripleexpansion engines having ahigh-pressure cylinder, an intermediate-pressure cylinder, and twolow-pressure cylinders of equal capacity, the stroke of the crank beinggreater than that of the piston, which contributes materially to an easymotion in passing dead-centers. That part of the engine at which thesteam enters the high-pressure cylinder I call the outer or front end;the opposite the rear end. That portion on the left of a person standingat the front of the engine, as above defined, and facing it, I call theleft or front side; the opposite the right or rear side.

Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of one form of my improved enginewith the front section thereof partly in horizontal section on the line1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a front elevation thereof with the parts omittedin Fig. 1 in place; Fig. 3,.a vertical longitudinal section through thefront section of the engine on the line 3 3 of Figs. 1, 4, and 5,including the parts shown in Fig. 2, and looking to the right or rear;Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section on the line 4 4 of Figs. 1 and 2;Fig. 5, a similar section on the line 5 5 of Figs. 1 and 2, through thefront section of the engine. The darts in these figures indicate thedirection in which the views are shown, while the arrows indicate thecourse of the steam Fig. 6 represents apartial end view, and Fig. 7 aside view, partly in vertical longitudinal section, illustrating amodification of the engine, in which the elbow-levers, walking-beams,and their connectinglinks extend above the fulcrum on which they rock,instead of below it, as in the organization shown in the preceding Figs.1 to 5, both inclusive. Fig. 8 represents a diagrammatic plan Viewillustrating the adaptation IO of my improved engine to the propulsionof two parallel shafts, such as those of twin screw-propellers; and Fig.9, a similar side view of apparatus illustrating the same adaptation.

The various parts are shown as connected with or mounted in a bed-plateand frame A. A high-pressure cylinder B and its valvechest b are shownas mounted 011 the outer rear part of the bed-plate. Its piston-rod B isconnected by a link B with a pin B projecting therefrom at both ends andpassing through the parallel rocking arms G G of an elbow-lever, whichrock on a pivot g on the main frame. The other ends of these rock- 2 5ing arms are respectively connected by linkrods H II with the pendentcrank-arms c" a? of a walking-beam, consisting of parallel arms I I,rocking on a fulcrum ion the main-tram e. A pin j connects the inner orforward ends of 0 these walking-beam arms, and a connectingrod Jconnects this pin with a crank-pin k on a crank-shaft K, which may alsobe the propeller-shaft. The opposite outer or rear ends of thewalking-beam arms are connected by 5 a pin d and link (1 with apiston-rod D of a lowpressure cylinder D, having the usual valve-chests(Z &c.

The intermediate or first low-pressure cylinder O is preferably placednear the highpressure cylinder B and has the usual valvechests c. Thepiston-rod C, link 0 and pin I: connect this cylinder, in a mannersimilar to that hereinbefore described, with the rocking arms G2 G ofelbow-levers rocking on a pivot g and connected by link-rods 11 H withthe pendent crank-arms 2' i of the arms I I of a walking-beam rocking ona fulcrum '5 and connected at their inner or front ends by a pin j andconnecting-rod J with another crank 70' on the crank-shaft K. Theopposite ends of these walking-beams are connected by a pin 01 and link(1 with the piston-rod D of a low-pressure cylinder D, having the usualvalve-chests d, dsc. The ends of the bell-cran k and walking-beam armsconnectmil with the cylinders are of equal radius, while thewalking-beam arms connected with the cranks are of slightly-greaterradius, the result of which is to give the crank a stroke greater thanthat 6:: of the pistons, and consequent ease of motion in passing thedead-centers.

The construction above described secures a very compact organization, asshort walkingbeams and elbow-levers can be used, the partscounterbalanced, and all the working-connections are below the fulcra onwhich they move.

The mechanism above described may be said in a sense to constitute adouble engine with the two parts side by side, the cylinders of eachsection being on opposite sides of the crank-shaft, united by link-rodscrossing that shaft, and all co-operating in actuating it.

An air-pump E is connected by a pistonrod E and link E with a crank-arml on a rock-shaft L, provided with an oppositely-projecting arm Z,connected by a link L with an arm 1 rocking on the shaft or pivot g ofthe elbow-levers G2 G A condenser F is shown as extending across theframe or bed-plate close to the cylinders B 0.

Fig.1 shows my preferred plan of working this engine. Steam from theboiler passes through a pipe M and a higlrpressure cylinder B, thencethrough pipes M to the intermediate cylinder 0, thence through pipes Mto the opposite end of the engine, where branch pipes m m, respectively,connect with the valve-chests (Z d of the second and third low-pressurecylinders D D, which are preferably of equal area, but larger than theilltermediate cylinder 0. After doing its work in these cylinders D Dthe steam is conducted, by pipes M M on opposite sides of the engine, tothe condenser F, which it enters at opposite ends, as shown.

The foregoing description applies more particularly to the engine shownin the first five figures of the drawings.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modification in which the elbow-levers,walking-beams, and their connecting-links are arranged above theirfulcra, instead of below them, as in the organization first described.

Like parts being corresliiondingly lettered in all the figures,theirarrangement will readily be understood.

This last-described plan, while not so compact as the other, has thecompensating advantage of simplifying the organization, as it admits ofthe use ofa single elbow-lever and Walking-beam with forkedconnecting-rods embracing them, instead of double arms to straddle theconnectingdinks, as in the first plan.

Figs. 8 and 9 show an advantageous plan of working two parallel crank-shafts such, for instance, as those of twin screw-propellers. Twotriple-expansion engines are shown as arranged side by side in reverseorder, the high-pressure cylinders being on the outer sides and thelarger low-pressure cylinders lying between the crank-shafts. In thiscase duplicate sets of air-pumps and condensers are used, and at theopposite end of the engines from the plan first described. Each airpumpmay be worked from the Walking-beam fulcrum by a long link Z andbell-crank L instead of from the elbow-levers. I thus secure a verycompact and convenient organization, and still keep all theconnecting-rod pivots of the Walking-beams directly overthe crank-shaft.

Except as hercinbel'ore stated, the details of construction of thevarious parts constitute no part ofthe subject-matter claimed, and maybe greatly varied within certain limits in well-known ways withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as of my own invention 1. The combination, substantially ashereinbefore set forth, of a crank-shaft, a steamcylinder on each sidethereof, two separate bell-cranks or elbow-levers, to opposite ends ofone of which are connected the piston-rod of one of the cylinders and aconnecting-rod directly actuating the crank-shaft, the other of whichbell-cranks is connected with the piston of the other cylinder, and alink dii'ectly connecting the bell-crank and elbowever.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of acrank-shaft, a steamcylinder, and a bell-crank or elbow-lever connectedwith the moving parts of the steamcylinder on each side of thecrank-shaft, a linkconnection between the elbow-levers crossing thecrank-shaft, and a connectingrod uniting the crank-shaft with one of theelbow-levers between their fulcra, the organization being such that theweight of the moving parts is counterbalanced.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of acrank-shaft, a steam cylinder on each side thereof, an elbow-leverconnected with the moving parts of one of the cylinders, a bell-crankwalking-beam connected with the corresponding parts of the othercylinder and having arms of unequal length, a connecting-rod .unitingthe crankshaft with the longer arm of the walkingbeam, and a linkconnecting the elbow-lever and walking-beam, the organization being suchthat the moving parts of the steam-cylinders always traverse in oppositedirections, the weight of the moving parts is counterbalanced and thestroke of the crank is greater than that of the piston.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of ahigh-pressure cylinder, an elbow-lever directly connected with themoving parts thereof, a separate walking-beam, a link directlyconnectingit to the elbow-lever, a low-pressure cylinder having itsmoving parts directly connected with the walking-beam on one side of itsfulcrum, a crank-shaft, and a connecting-rod uniting the crank-shaftwith the walking-beam on the opposite side of its fulcrum.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of ahigh-pressure cylinder, a bifurcated elbow-lever connected with itsmoving parts, a bifurcated bellcrank walking-beam, links connecting thebifurcations of the elbow-lever and walking-beam, a low-pressurecylinder, its. moving 'parts connected with the walking-beam,acrank-shaft, and a connecting-rod pivoted on the crank at one endandbetween the bifurcations of the walking-beam at the other and straddledby the connecting-links below their fulcra.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefo reset forth,'of ahigh-press'dre eyiinder, an intermediate cylinder 1nto which steampasses direct from the high-pressure cylinder, elbow-levers connecteddirectly with the-moving partsof these cylinders, a separate bell-cranklever walking-beam, a linkconnection between the elbow-levers and thewalking-beam, a low-pressure cylinder, the connections between itsmoving parts and the walking-beam, a crank-shaft, and a conf.

low-pressure cylinders connected with the.

same crank-shaft as the other engine.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, ofahigh-pressure cylinder, an intermediate cylinder of larger area, andtwo low-pressure cylinders of still larger area with duplicate separateelbow-levers and walking-beams, links directly connecting thewalking-beam and elbow-levers of each set, and connecting-rods connectedwith the walking beams and acting on the cranks of a common crank-shaftand constituting a triple expansion engine.

9. The hereinbefore-described tripleexpansion engine, consisting of thecombination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a high-pressurecylinder, an intermediate cylinder of larger area, two still largerlow-pressure cylinders of equal area with duplicate separateelbow-levers and walking-beams, links directly connecting thewalking-beams and elbow-levers, and connecting-rods connected to thewalking-beams acting on the cranks of the same crank-shaft, asteam-passage connecting the high-pressure and intermediate cylinders,and a branch steam-passage therefrom to the other low-pressurecylinders.

10. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of ahigh-pressure cyinder,

a larger intermediate cylinder, two larger lowbeams and elbow-levers ofeach set, and connecting rods connected with the walkingbeams anduniting the moving parts of these cylinders in pairs with a commoncrank-shaft, and an air pump and link connections for working it fromthe fulcrum or shaft of one of the elbow-levers or walking-beams.

12. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of ahigh-pressure cylinder, a low-pressure or intermediate cylinder oflarger area adjacent thereto, two larger lowpressure cylinders of equalarea, interposed separate elbow levers and walking beams, links directlyconnecting the walking-beams and elbow-levers, and connecting-rodsconnected with the walking-beams and uniting the moving parts of thesecylinders in pairs with a common intermediate crank-shaft, a condenser,and steam-passages entering it at opposite ends from the largercylinders.

13. The duplex twin screw triple-expausion engine hereinbeforedescribed, consisting of the combination of two duplicate engines, theirseparate walking-beams and elbow-levers, links connecting them withtheir largest low-pressure cylinders between the crankshafts,theirhigh-pressure and intermediate cylinders outside the crank-shaft,and their elbow-levers and walking-beams on opposite sides of theirrespective crank-shafts.

14. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of twoparallel crank-shafts, a high and an intermediate cylinder outside ofthe crank-shafts, two low-pressure cylinders between the shafts,separate elbowlevers and walking-beams, links connecting them, andconnecting-rods uniting the moving parts of these cylinders with thecrankshaft between them, a generator outside the other crank-shaft, andsteam-passages con necting the cylinders in series with the generator.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name. I

JOIIN BAIRD. [L. s.] lVitnesses:

B. L. M. BATES, W. H. H. YOUNG.

